Compiled by: en.tohed.com
Preface
To perform Qurbani correctly one must know the minimum age each animal must reach. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered us to sacrifice a musinnah (also called thaniyyah = “two-toothed”) animal, with a special exemption for a jadhaʿah lamb. Below are the linguistic and juristic details for sheep, goats, cattle, and camels with key proofs and references.
Prophetic Ḥadīth
“Do not slaughter except a musinnah; if that is hard for you, then sacrifice a jadhaʿah from the sheep.”
—Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
The default is a musinnah, while a one-year-old lamb (jadhaʿah ḍaʾn) is the lone exception.
1) Jadhaʿah Sheep (Ḍaʾn) — What Age?
Major opinion (Jumhūr): A jadhaʿah lamb is one full lunar year old.
[]Ibn Ḥajar: “From sheep, jadhaʿah is what has completed a year … the view of the majority.” (Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/28)
[]al-Nawawī, Sharḥ Muslim 2/155
[]al-Shawkānī, Nayl al-Awtār 5/202
[]etc.
2) Jadhaʿah Goat (Maʿz) — Valid or Not?
Abū Burdah b. Niyār رضي الله عنه slaughtered before ʿEid Ṣalāh. He owned a young, fat goat and asked if he could offer it:
“Slaughter it, but it will not suffice for anyone after you.”
—al-Bukhārī & Muslim
Scholars conclude a one-year-old goat is NOT normally acceptable.
Definition: A goat becomes jadhaʿah when it enters its second year (Fatḥ al-Bārī 10/23).
3) Jadhaʿah Cattle (Baqr)
Linguists define the jadhaʿ of cattle as an animal that has completed one year and started its second. Nevertheless, the authentic aḥādīth restrict Qurbani cattle to musinnah only; therefore a calf is invalid.
4) Jadhaʿah Camels (Ibil)
Jadhaʿ for camels = finished four years, entering the fifth (Fatḥ al-Bārī). Yet, like cattle and goats, a camel must be musinnah for Qurbani.
5) What Is a Musinnah / Thaniyyah?
Musinnah = an animal whose milk teeth have fallen and permanent incisors emerged.
[]Camels: turns sixth lunar year (after five full years).
[]Cattle: turns third lunar year (after two full years).
[]Goats: turns third lunar year (after two full years).
[]Sheep: same as goats, unless using the jadhaʿah exemption.
6) Practice of ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما
He always sacrificed a musinnah, even when a one-year lamb was allowed, preferring maximum caution. (See: Muṣaffā 1/181; al-Zurqānī 3/223)
7) Summary Rulings
[]General rule: Qurbani requires a musinnah (thaniyyah).
[]Camels — ≥ 5 full lunar years.
[]Cattle — ≥ 2 full lunar years.
[]Goats — ≥ 2 full lunar years.
[]Sheep — ≥ 2 full lunar years, or one-year jadhaʿah (lamb) if healthy.
[]Special permissions to offer a one-year goat were exclusive to two Companions (Abū Burdah & ʿUqbah b. ʿĀmir) and do not extend to the Ummah.- Where animals lose teeth earlier owing to climate or breed, the decisive sign is the eruption of permanent incisors.
Qurbani is a great act of worship; adhere strictly to the Sunnah and sound evidence. May Allah grant us true understanding and acceptance. Āmīn!
Key References
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim · Fatḥ al-Bārī · Sharḥ Muslim (al-Nawawī) · Nayl al-Awtār · Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī · Majmaʿ al-Baḥār · Bazl al-Majhūd · al-Hidāyah · al-Zurqānī · ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd · and others.
